Last day to sign up for the New England Federation of Humane Societies’ panel discussion on behavior assessments at the University of New Hampshire is Tuesday, October 23rd. I looking forward being part of the panel and exploring the many facets of this complex subject. For a registration form or if you have any questions, contact Stephanie Frommer at stephanief@humanecommunity.org or call 603-352-9011 extension 123,
Read more →I’m a big fan of Oliver Sacks and when I was watching Fric and BeeBee tear around the yard, I couldn’t help but think of his book, A Leg to Stand On. In it he describes how people who have lost function of a limb may use it normally if placed in conditions that cause them to forget that they can’t do so. When BeeBee walks slowly her gait is half-way between the come-hither woozy swing of an inebriated street-walker and a dog who really has to go but doesn’t want to go just yet. There’s no doubt she
Read more →Does the phrase “frozen zoo” conjure up as many images for you as it did for me when I first heard it? If it makes you think about wildlife on the north and south pole, you’re indirectly right in that the future on those species may very well depend on the zoo–even though it’s located 35 miles north of San Diego, CA. If it makes you think of sci-fi, well, there are certainly elements of that in the high technology of the frozen zoo, too. And, sadly, if it makes you feel cold and empty when you think of
Read more →Although a certain lip-service is paid to health and temperament, for a fair number of people an animal’s looks are the primary concern. If a breed, such as a corgi, is known for its erect ears, then these become the immediate focus of attention. Such people would look BeeBee’s drooping right ear and think that her left side was her “good” side and hope that her right ear gets with the program so it doesn’t spoil her looks. In reality, the left side of BeeBee’s face is the side that’s compromised. That eye doesn’t blink and her vision from
Read more →A friend stopped in unannounced yesterday and was taken aback to the point of appalled that I’d taken on a dog like BeeBee. His comments’ effect on me surprised me for two quite opposite reasons. My immediate response was to lash out at him for his anti-canine comments because Bee and her problems have become such a normal part of my life I’ve already forgotten that others might not see her the same way I do. Fortunately, I realized that this was my problem not his and didn’t say anything I’d later regret. Whew! But after he left (after offering Bee
Read more →Previously I mentioned that BeeBee appears to have learned to bark in a “normal” way from observing my other two dogs. In addition to using this bark when she joins in greeting visitors, she also uses it when she greets and wants to play with other dogs. Unfortunately, the latter yields less successful results than the former because the average human has no idea what she’s saying to them but it doesn’t matter, especially with cute puppies. On the other hand, it does matter to the average dog and, judging from other dogs’ responses to her, whatever she’s saying
Read more →This morning as part of my morning ritual I draped myself upside down on my exercise ball on my yoga mat next to the woodstove with my head touching the floor and my eyes closed. Frica and BeeBee were doing their usual post-breakfast carousing while Watson napped on the dog couch and Whitman, the cat, tried to convince me to let him out. Normally I would have let Whit out before I started my yoga routine, but it’s cold and rainy and I knew what would happen when I opened the door for him. He would stand there peering
Read more →Actually, I doubt she has. Or rather, she may have, but her skills at reading body language are probably much better. Like other dogs born deaf, she has a distinct vocalization which in her case is half-way between a low bark and a moan. But since she’s been here, she has also develop a bark that is indistinguishable (to me) from that of a dog who can hear. That animals, including humans, learn by mimicry is well-known, and one day several weeks ago I saw what I can only describe as a conscious attempt on Bee’s part to mimic my other dogs in
Read more →Are there times you look at your pet and think you don’t know anything about animal behavior? Well, click here and read about this study and I bet you’ll find yourself thinking, “Gee, I knew that! “
Read more →BeeBee has less control over the left side of her face. That plus her much shorter lower jaw causes saliva sometimes to collect on her down side when she sleeps. There’s never been much of it so I forgot all about it. But yesterday I looked down at her sleeping under my desk and noticed a distinct pink color around her lips and immediately thought, “Oh, my God, what’s happened to her!” Ridiculous visions of that as yet unidentified damaged part of her brain leaking out through the roof of her mouth vied with those of some unacknowledged infirmity
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